Ignition system for internal-combustion engines.



A. G. GUNDY.

IGNITION SYSTEM FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLIOATION IILBD JUNE 16, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

UNITED STATES PATENT CPF-FICE.

ALTON Q. GU'NIDY, OF UPLAND, CALIFORNIA ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO M. H. HAY,

013' LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

IGNITION SYSTEM roe INTnRNnncoMBUsTIoN ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 15, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Serial No. 703,983.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALTON C. Gunny, a citizen of the United States, residing at Upland, in the county of San Bernardino and means for the sparking circuits, irrespective f of the speed of the engine A further object of the invention is to i provide for the break required for the gen- 5 eration of the sparking impulse without the i use of a vibrator.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, and referring thereto Figure l is a front elevation of the circuit controlling means for the system, with a diagram of the circuit connections constituting the igniting system. Fig. .2 is a perspective of the circuit controller. Fig. 3 is a perspective of the interlocking means of the circuit controller showing one position thereof. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing another position of the interlocking means. Fig. 5 is a plan showing the position of the parts in Fig. 3. Fig. {3 is a plan showing the position of the parts in Fig. 4.

The invention is illustratml in connection with a system adapted for a four-cylinder circuit by the timer to the sparking circuit of any one of the cylinders automatically opens said circuits and establishes a connection to the circuit for the next cylinder in advance. Thecircuit controller comprises two electromagnets 1 and 2 mounted on a suitable base or support 3, and armatures 4.-

and 5 for the respective electromagnets, said armatures being carried respectively by springs 6 and 7, each fixed at one end to a bracket 8 on the base 3 and provided at its other end with a contact 9 or 10 adapted to make contact when the armature is attracted to the magnet with a fixed contact 11 or 12. The said armature springs 6 and 7 tend to spring away from the cores of the respective clectromagncts 1 and 2 and are provided with interlocking means whereby each spring, as it moves away from the magnet, locks the other spring in position toward the other magnet so as to'maintain closure of the contact controlled by said other spring and as each armature is attracted by its magnet, the corresponding spring allows the other spring to be released and to move out of circuit closing position. For this purpose, spring 7 has a notch 1st in itsupper edge and the outer end portion of the spring (3 is cut away at its lower edge leaving an extension 6 which extends through the said notch 14 and said spring 6 being further provided with a lateral projection or shoulder 16 adapted to engage with the outer side of the spring 7 at the outer edge of the notch 1d therein, said portion of the spring 7 forming a shoulder 16 to hold said spring 7 toward its magnet 2 when the spring 6 is away from its magnet 1. The said outer edge of the notch 14: in spring 7 engages with the outer face of said projection or shoulder portion 16 on the spring (3 when the spring 7 is away from its magnet i The connections may be as shown in Fig. 1, where 18 designates the central contact of a timer mechanically connected to be rotated by a shaft of the engine from which the sparks are to be produced, and 19 the member carrying the fixed contacts 20, Q1, 22 and Q3 of the timer connected by wires 25 to the primary windings of the respective induction coils 9,6, 27, 28 and 29, whose other ends are connectedv to the magnets l and 2, the

connection being such that the primary coils' are connected to said magnets in two groups, magnet 1 being connected to one group of said coils and magnet 2 being connected to the other group. For-this purpose alternate primary coils 2G and 28 are connected by wires 30 to a wire 31 leading to the magnet land. animal-medias prirnary coils-27 in '29 are connected by wires 32 to a wire 33 1 leading tomagnet 2. i lie-other terminals ofthe magnets l and 'Q'are connectedrespec-v tively by wires 34 and 35 tothef respective fixed contacts12 and 11, the contact springs c 6 and 7.. being connected respectively by '.'wires 36 and 37,and to a wire 38 leading to one side of battery 39, the'other sideof said battery being grounded or connected by con-j nection 40 to'the central rotating contact 18 of thegtinie r. The" secondarylwinding's of the respective induction coils 26, 27, '28fan'd' 7 2'9 are connected to-h'igh ftension sparking circuits 41,42, .43 and't t'containing spark gap means :t'or'effecting ignition in the :engir ie cylinders in the 'usual manner.

. -ihe'ol)eration isasiollowsz When in therotation of the timer, an operative connec tionjis established fronrthe battery through 7, wires 37 and-BS hack' to the battery. At the momentwhoi'l tlnsconnection takes place, the electromagnet circuit controller is in 1-positi0n shown in Fig.- 1 with the armature spring 6 retracted opening the circuit contact 11', and armature spring 7-he'ldtoward its magnet by engagementofthe shoul den 16 on spring 6 Wit-lithe" portion 116 of thespring'T, thereby holding thecont'act closed at 12 andthe-circuitabove traced to '35 stated theresulting encrgization of magnet be established} When current flows as above 1 causes the armature at thercotto be attract,-

ed drawing the-"contact spring 6' into contact :with the fixed contact 11 and moving the shoulder 16 on they contact spring 6 away from the engagingportion 16 of the contact s rin 7- and allowin said contact 5 1'ii'1 '-7 tospring away from its magnet by-its' own elasticity and to open circuit at contact- 12.

This opening of circuit 'at contact 12opens' the energizing connect-ion 'for the magnet 1, butit willcbe observed that the same movementof the contact spring 7 bringsthe shoulder portion 16 thereon back ofthe shoulder portion 10 on the contact spring 6,

thereby.holding said icontact spring 6 into contact with'the fixed contact 11 and mainstaining a connection for tl'ie'othcr group of foo ' of the other nm'm tprimary coi'lsso thatwhen in the operation of a the tuner the rotatijve contact thereby makes.- 'contact with the next contact 21 which belongs to said'other group; an er'1ergizing connection will he established for the primary windingof the induction COEl 27 insaid otherwgroiip and 'nlso tor-cncrgization I This. next action of the timer in'nuuun contact with the con tact 21 completes the cii ci'i-it andenergizes the primary winding of lhe induction coil 27 and the -1'l'l2lg'll0t2,'tl18 currentypassing froin-imttcry 3!) through wire- 40, contacts l8 and-21, wire 25, primary winding of i11 duction coil'2T,wir es 33 and and magnet 2 to conta t-'11; thence lth rough contact I spring (i and wires 36,:and 38 back to'the. lmtl'ory 39.. Contact'spring7 is thereby at-' truct'ed by magnet 2 and caused to close cirv cult at contort 1-0 and atthe same time the shoulder 16 on said contact-spring: 7 is moved out of engagement with the shoulder 1'6 on cont'uct'spring 6 allowing the contact sp'ring oto-bemoved by its own; elasticity contact spring 7 to retain said Icontact. spring 7 in closed position. This restores the original 1 )QSlt'lOIl of the circuit controller and The effect of energization of to open contact 11 and to spring back of thep brings the circuit nguin in position foroper-h ation.,of the tuner on i-aprimary coiliof the i -tir. ;tg -oup, this operation. helng. repeated indefinitely.

the .pr'in'mry of one of the'ind'uction coils in "the correspondmg' group and when the cue *cuit of ,theInduction' 0011 18 openm th s niam-ier; a-high tension i'lischarge will be'pro -vthat. coil, res'ultingin a discharge or spark across the e1ect1 d g p ns 457 at'l claim is:

1. In an ign tion system comprising. a

from 'a source ofcurre'nt successively to'dif- 'foren't sparking; circuits controlled by the iluced in a seflindary winding and circuit-0f v 'ilurality sparking circuits, a timerfor' establishing connections successlvely' to sald cire -utsand source of current, a circuit controller adapted to shift' the connection loo tiine'r, said circuit controllercomprising two contact devices, electromagnets respectively controlling said, contact devices, circuit'con-g .incctions cormectingthe respective electro-' 'n'iugnets and contact devices in circuit with diliercnt groupsof sparkingcircuits, said contact devices being providcd with mechaniral nterlocking means constructed to .lock

each of saidcontactdevices in closed posi 1 -tion by e'ngag'en'ient withthe'other contact device when the hitter is in open'p'osition.

.2. In an ignition system,- the combina-.-

tion oi. =21 plurality of igniting circuits and titchenergizing connections, means for shift cults coinprie 'igitwo. lci:i,romzignets con-- nccl'cd respectively in, said energizing connections contact incnnsopci'ated by each of s: 'd clectromagnctsand mntroliing the ener- 1roniziggncl's"awn-h'oligiid contact. means tend-- '-ing .to infovc to p sition to open the circuit ot' the other olectromagnct and each of said 4 ingrlthe connections siict-cssivotv to the enerauto coilnoct ons' for the iili'i rent igniting clectl'oning'i'icis acting on said contact'nienns to. close the circuit of the other electromagnot, and said contaot devices being provided my hand at Upland, 0211.,this eighth day of with mechanical interlocking means con- J nne 1919. stymied io lock each of the contact devices in closed position by the glction of the 5 other contact device when said other con- In presence of tact device is in open position. E. P. FULLER, In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set E. A. MAGILL.

ALTON o. GU'NDY.- 

